No charges for sergeant who fatally struck Faribault woman with squad car
RICE COUNTY, Minn. -- The Rice County Sheriff's sergeant who struck and killed a woman with his squad car near Morristown in January will not face charges.
The attorney's office says Sgt. Trevor Peterson did not have enough time to react to avoid hitting Stephanie Wesley, 52, who was lying in the unlit rural road just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 29.
A Minnesota State Patrol report - which was based on the squad car's dash cam footage and a scene reconstruction - recommended that the Rice County Attorney's Office not file charges in the case. The Olmsted County Attorney's Office reviewed the findings to avoid any conflict of interest.
The crash happened on Highway 60 just east of Morristown. Wesley died at the scene of multiple blunt-force injuries. She had a blood alcohol limit of .235, the state patrol said.
RELATED: Community mourns Faribault woman struck and killed by Rice Co. Sheriff's Sergeant
Peterson was driving in the eastbound lane and traveling 59 mph in a 60 mph zone, the sheriff's office said. He was not responding to any emergency, and his lights were not flashing.
